


wildly attractive

by Anonymous



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Rock Band, Fluff, Getting Back Together, Injury Recovery, M/M, Photography
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-17
Updated: 2020-12-17
Packaged: 2021-03-11 01:46:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,157
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28137150
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: If you want to know what someone loves, watch what they photograph. It's not any different for Mark.
Relationships: Mark Lee/Nakamoto Yuta
Comments: 10
Kudos: 142
Collections: PRODEBUTER FEST - ROUND 01





	wildly attractive

**Author's Note:**

> PDF003: After shattering his leg in an accident, wildlife photographer Mark Lee is forced on a long-term medical leave, and ends up moving directly across from his ex, Person B's, apartment. Person B, although older and much more mature, is still wild at heart, and Mark finds something new to capture with his camera

“Are you sure you’re going to be alright?”

“I’ll be fine, Taeyong,” Mark sighs. He doesn’t even bother turning around, keeping his gaze trained on the buildings lining the road as they drove past them towards his apartment. He hasn’t had an apartment in years — every time he came into town, he just stayed with Taeyong and Johnny. But he wouldn’t be leaving for quite a while, and so he had signed a one year lease for a new apartment in a nice area of the city. 

“You know you can call me if you need anything, right?” Taeyong says, and Mark wants to sigh again, but he knows that Taeyong is just worried about him. They’re all worried about him, but he’s truly fine. 

“I know, Yong,” he replies. “Don’t worry about me. I promise to call if I need anything. You can come visit whenever you want if you need to check up on me. You have my spare key.”

“I will, then,” Taeyong says resolutely, just as he pulls up to the building. Mark hasn’t bothered paying for a parking spot, so Taeyong has to park on a side street. He gets out of the car first, then rounds the car and opens the passenger door. “Here.”

He takes Mark’s crutches out from the backseat and passes them to him. Mark accepts them appreciatively, even though he hates his stupid crutches. He swings around until his legs are sticking out of the car and uses his crutches to get out. Taeyong hovers by his elbow, clearly ready to catch him if he falls, but Mark has had time to get used to walking with one leg, the other immobilized in a long leg cast.

“Good thing there’s elevators, huh,” Mark says weakly when he stumbles on the way up. Taeyong doesn’t laugh, pulling the door open silently. Mark feels the same guilt and shame wash over him, but it’s duller now. He’s had time to get used to that too.

Ever since he fell down a mountain and shattered his leg to the point where he had to get airlifted to the closest hospital, Taeyong and Johnny have been taking care of him. He’s lucky that he’s a resident of Ontario and his ride was covered by OHIP, because the bill would have definitely cost him a leg, and he didn’t have another one to spare. 

“So Johnny already stocked the fridge with the essentials, but I made a week’s worth of food and put it in the freezer, and I’ll bring you more when I have time. There’s instant stuff in the pantry but try not to eat too much of it. And _don’t_ push yourself,” Taeyong instructs with a glare as he pushes open the door to Mark’s new, fully furnished apartment. This is the first time he’s seeing it, but it looks like any other apartment he’s been in. 

“Thank you,” Mark says softly, and collapses on the couch.

“Of course, Markie. Prop your leg up,” Taeyong says, then disappears into the kitchen once he’s satisfied with Mark’s leg elevated on a pillow. Taeyong had spent hours drawing on Mark’s cast, bright, colorful doodles that make Mark smile whenever he sees them. He hears Taeyong complaining about Johnny’s grocery selection and grins, reaching for the TV remote and turning it on. He figures out how to open Netflix pretty quickly, and he finds that Johnny has already logged into his account and set up a profile for Mark.

Touched, Mark digs his phone out of his pocket to shoot off a ‘thank you for everything’ text to Johnny before scrolling through the anime section to find something to watch. He settles on a show he’s been meaning to watch, and dozes until Taeyong comes into the living room with a steaming bowl of noodles for him. 

“I’m gonna head home now, okay? But if you need me, call me and I’ll come running,” Taeyong says

Mark rolls his eyes fondly. “Yes, Taeyong, you’ve said that, like, a billion times. I _promise_ I’ll be okay on my own.”

Taeyong sighs. “If you say so.”

He presses a kiss to Mark’s forehead despite his complaints, wishes him well and disappears out the door, locking it behind him. And just like that, Mark is alone. He isn’t really used to being alone, but if he’s honest, it’s a breath of fresh air after being smothered throughout the aftermath of the accident.

He finishes his noodles in record time -- ever since he got back from the hospital, his appetite has been ravenous. He’s debating whether or not he should try to get up and put the dishes away, or if he should just take a nap on the couch first, but a knock on the door has him groaning.

“Coming!” Mark calls; it’s probably Taeyong, back because he’s worried about leaving Mark alone. Maybe Mark should offer to let him sleep over, he muses as he struggles to get up from the couch and hobble over to the door, his crutches the only thing keeping him upright. Luckily, he’s had tons of practice balancing on one leg, so he manages to get the door open. “Yong, I told you--”

It’s not Taeyong.

It’s Yuta. As in, Nakamoto Yuta. 

As in, his ex.

His hair is platinum blond and falls past his ears, pushed back by a bandana. He has new piercings in his ears and his fashion sense has changed, but it’s definitely Yuta. Mark still remembers the Yuta of two years ago who had broken up with Mark a week before their anniversary. Mark likes to think he was mature about the whole thing, despite not really having a clue as to why Yuta dumped him. He wanted to stay friends, but it didn’t work out. Mostly because Mark traveled the world and Yuta had moved back to Japan.

“I--Yuta? What are you doing here?” Mark manages to say, and nearly loses his balance. Yuta’s hands jerk like he wants to catch him, but Mark steadies himself and his hands fall back down to his sides. 

“Oh, Mark… the landlord told me my new neighbor was coming today, so when I heard you in the hall…” Yuta begins, but his gaze drifts down to the cast around Mark’s leg. “What the hell happened to you?”

“I, uh, fell off a mountain,” Mark mumbles sheepishly, and Yuta’s jaw gapes. “I didn’t know you moved back to Canada.”

“I just moved back a couple months ago,” Yuta says. “I was offered a head position in two of the international branches for my company, but the other one is in Australia and, uh, I’m not really a fan of the--the snakes and stuff.”

“Oh, yeah, yeah. Absolutely.” There’s an awkward pause where both of them are just staring at each other. “So, um, was there something you needed?”

“Oh!” Yuta straightens up, and he looks adorable. Mark hates that even after two years, he still finds Yuta both cute and devastatingly attractive. “I mean, well. I came here to introduce myself since I live across the hall but, ah. You already know me.”

“That I do,” Mark agrees, feeling incredibly out of depth. What were the odds of him and Yuta not only being in the same building, but literally right across from each other? “So, uh. I better get going. I really need to put my leg up.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Yuta is already backing into his apartment. “Make sure you rest well. Uh, if you need anything, just knock on my door, okay?”

“Sure,” Mark mumbles, but Yuta is already closing his door. Mark stares for a moment, then shuts his own door and hurries into the bedroom.

He needs a fucking nap.

He promises himself that he’s not gonna knock on Yuta’s door, but it turns out, living on your own is actually really hard when you only have one leg. Mark can manage most things, like cooking for himself (if making instant noodles and microwave dinners counts as cooking), and most other things can be solved using the magic of twenty first century technology. Except for the fact that he had been sleeping when his painkillers were delivered, and so he needs to go downstairs to get them before his package gets stolen.

He can call Taeyong or Johnny, but they’re both working, and he _really_ needs his painkillers because even though he had only broken his leg, he still had bruises everywhere, and a concussion to boot. And, like an idiot, he hadn’t called for a refill until he was almost out. 

So, he opens his door and hobbles to the elevator, only to find that it’s currently out of order. He almost cries. He probably jinxed himself on the first day, and now he’s going to pay the price. He thinks about trying to make it down the stairs and wants to vomit.

After a couple minutes of debating, he goes back to his apartment and knocks on Yuta’s door. What he isn’t expecting is for the door to swing open only seconds later, startling him badly enough that he loses his balance. In a flash, Yuta is steadying him with strong arms, but Mark is more distracted by the outfit Yuta is wearing. He’s in ripped skinny jeans and a mesh crop top, and Mark can see a belly button piercing peeking through the fabric. 

“Whoa there!” Yuta says. “You okay?”

“I’m okay,” Mark replies. “Thanks.”

“Yeah, no problem.” Yuta finally lets him go, shoving his hands into his pockets. He looks unbelievably good, and Mark swallows hard. “Did you need something?”

“Um. My painkillers were left downstairs, and the elevator is out of order. I was hoping you could grab them for me,” Mark says sheepishly. 

Yuta brightens. “Yeah absolutely!”

“Were you going somewhere, though?” Mark asks, gesturing to Yuta’s outfit and makeup. “I don’t wanna bother you.”

“Just heading out for a gig,” Yuta explains, and when Mark gives him a confused look, he adds, “I play drums in a band. We have a show tonight. Wanna come watch?”

“I would but…” Mark gestures lamely to his leg.

Yuta shrugs. “Not a big deal. I can drive you and you can get a seat at the front. It’s just at a bar, it’s not like there’s gonna be a moshpit or something. No pressure though.”

Mark hesitates. “Well… It would be nice to get out of the house. I’m going a bit stir crazy.”

“You haven’t changed a bit, huh?” Yuta says, and his smile is so inexplicably soft that it makes Mark’s heart race. “Tell you what, if you can get ready in twenty minutes, I’ll drive you there _and_ buy you as many drinks as you want.”

Mark scoffs. “I can get ready in ten.”

And it takes a bit of struggling, but he does. 

Yuta’s waiting for him, and after a brief moment of them arguing, Mark allows himself to be carried down the stairs. It makes him blush, because Yuta carries him bridal style and then sets him down on a chair in the lounge to run back up and grab Mark’s crutches, but eventually they make it to Yuta’s car after grabbing Mark’s painkillers. It’s changed from a rundown pickup truck to a Mercedes, and Mark thinks that if Yuta still looks the same, he’s much different now. Mark feels a bit like a child sitting next to him.

“So what were you doing climbing a mountain, anyway?” Yuta asks as he pulls out of his parking spot.

“I’m a wildlife photographer,” Mark replies, drumming his fingers against his thigh. Yuta seems to notice his anxiety and turns on some calming music. “I was with a team taking photos for National Geographic.”

Yuta’s eyes widen, and he whistles lowly. “Damn, that’s impressive, Markie. You’ve always been really talented at photography. You and Johnny.”

“Johnny still does photography, too,” Mark says, “except he does, like, rich people events.”

“Johnny at some uptight, suit and tie event? Now that I gotta see,” Yuta replies with a grin, and it makes Mark crack up. Johnny cleans up nicely, but he absolutely hates stiff, formal clothing. He prefers to be comfortable and honestly would look good wearing a trash bag. Yet he often had to wear nice black suits while attending events run by billionaires, and while Mark knows Johnny likes his job, he often complains that the only good thing about working for rich people is the food he gets to try. “He’s still with Taeyong, right?”

“You don’t know?” Mark asks, surprised. 

“You weren’t the only one I lost contact with,” Yuta says gently. “I didn’t really have service in Japan. I was living in a very remote area. When I moved back here, I didn’t know if I should contact any of you.”

“Oh,” Mark says. “I thought… I thought you didn’t want anything to do with me. After the break up.”

“I was in a bad place at the time. I was doing poorly mentally, and I was moving back to Japan indefinitely. I felt that I wouldn’t treat you right if we stayed together, which is why I chose to end things. I don’t think it was right, but at the time I thought I was doing what was best for the both of us.”

“So… you didn’t hate me, then?” Mark asks weakly, because he has to _know._

“Mark,” Yuta says, so seriously that Mark’s breath stutters, “I could never, _ever_ hate you.” 

“Oh,” Mark says again, relief washing over him as he settles back into his seat. “Good to know.”

“I’m surprised you don’t hate me,” Yuta muses as he pulls into the parking lot of Club 127. Mark manages to rein in his shock. From what he knows, it’s hard to score a gig at 127, because they’re known for their live music to the point where entertainment company reps drop by sometimes. Yuta’s band must be _good_ , which isn’t that unexpected, now that Mark thinks about it. Yuta is the type to pick something and commit to it until he masters it. He’s glad that, of everything that’s changed about Yuta, this isn’t one of them. 

“Okay, let’s find you a comfy seat and get you some drink in you,” Yuta says, and to Mark’s embarrassment, he scoops him out of the car. Mark flails around, but Yuta just carries him across the parking lot and through the front doors. The club clearly isn’t open to customers, but the bartender doesn’t seem surprised to see Yuta here.

“Hey, Yuta.”

“Hey, Jaehyun. This is Mark. He’s kinda like our unofficial mascot. Can we get him a spot near the stage? And preferably with a way to prop his little leg up. As you can see it's not functioning at a hundred percent right now.”

“Sure thing.” Jaehyun puts down the glass and moves one of the nice leather chairs near the stage, then brings over a small stool for Mark to prop his leg up. “Here you are.”

“Thanks, man.” Mark blushes as Yuta carries him over to the seat and fusses over him until he’s sitting properly. “What do you want to drink, Mark?”

“Beer’s fine.” Yuta goes behind the bar and grabs a bottle for him. Mark eyes Jaehyun to see what he thinks, but Jaehyun doesn’t seem to care. They must have been friends for a while. Yuta looks so comfortable here that Mark feels a little awkward and out of place. 

“Illie and Doie should be here in a few minutes,” Jaehyun says. “In the meantime, let’s get you set up.”

Mark is content to watch as Jaehyun and Yuta fuck around on stage, tuning the guitars and checking the mikes while also tickling each other any time they stepped close enough. 

It’s cute. They’re cute together. For a moment, Mark wonders if they’re dating, and he doesn’t understand the sinking sensation in his stomach as he thinks about it.

Yuta’s band members show up a few minutes later, and they all greet Mark enthusiastically before getting set up.

“We’re gonna run through a full rehearsal of our set,” Yuta tells him. “It’s a private practice, you should be honoured that you get to watch it.”

“I am,” Mark assures him seriously, but he can’t stop himself from cracking up right after. Yuta rolls his eyes and sits behind his drums, but he looks happy. 

When they start up the first song, Mark nearly chokes on his beer. They’re _good._ Like, more than good. Mark is captivated by the lead singer’s voice, but his gaze slides over to Yuta behind the drums. He looks… amazing. Even in the unflattering lights of the club, he looks unbelievably sexy as he pounds on the drums with a wild grin on his face. Mark finds himself reaching for his phone as they finish the song, make a couple of adjustments, and start up another.

He opens the camera app without thinking. It’s a new phone — his old one had shattered in the accident. Johnny had told him the camera was good, but if he’s honest, he hasn’t taken pictures in a while. The pain is too fresh, knowing that he can’t do what he loves because of a broken leg. But now, he brings his phone up and messes with the settings, then starts taking pictures of Yuta in his element.

For once, he doesn’t pay attention to the shots. He doesn’t agonize over how they’ll turn out, like he usually does when he’s not taking pictures of animals. In a way, photographing Yuta feels like photographing a wild cat, you have to be quick or you might get eaten alive.

Mark thinks, in that moment, he would not mind Yuta sinking his teeth in him — and isn’t that a terrifying thought.

He takes pictures throughout the full run-through of their set, and when they’re finished, he opens his camera roll and scrolls through them. Some of them are pretty terrible, especially since he’s a bit out of practice, but there are shots that manage to capture Yuta’s breathtaking looks and his passionate playing.

Mark realizes that he’s actually proud of these pictures. He can’t remember the last time he’s actually felt satisfied with his non-wildlife photos. But even before editing, he’s happy with them. 

“So, what did you think?” He looks up from his phone, and Yuta’s standing in front of him with messy hair and a sharp grin. His skin is glistening with a light sheen of sweat, and Mark’s mouth feels dry.

“It was good,” Mark offers, scratching the back of his head. “I liked it.”

“Getting compliments from you is like pulling teeth,” Yuta says with a sigh, but he doesn’t seem mad about it. Instead, he’s glowing with happiness, and somehow he looks even better like this. “I guess I’ll have to work harder to impress you.”

Mark looks up sharply at that, and Yuta’s eyes are glittering with mirth and something that looks a little like hope.

“Yeah,” he agrees, swallowing hard, “I guess you will.”

God, he’s so fucked.

It becomes a regular thing.

Mark comes to all of Yuta’s gigs, and he takes photos every time. He starts bringing one of his cameras. Yuta never asks to see his pictures, which is a relief. Mark hates photographing people because he’s always scared they won’t like the end result, but Yuta hadn’t asked when he pulled the camera out of his bag, and he still hasn’t asked, weeks later. So Mark continues to take pictures, and he’s become increasingly proud of his progress as he starts to learn new things through trial and error.

“Hey, it’s Markie!” This has become a regular thing, too. Jaehyun the bartender and Taeil, Doyoung, Jungwoo, and Sicheng the bandmates have become Mark’s friends as well.

“Hi, Jaehyun,” Mark greets as he hobbles over, sitting in his usual seat and leaving his crutches resting against the side of the chair.

“Want something to eat? You’re looking skinny these days.”

“That’s what you always say,” Mark replies with an eye roll, but he accepts the burger and fries that Jaehyun brings over to him and smiles gratefully. 

It’s peaceful until about a half hour before opening, and all of a sudden there’s shrieking from the back room that Yuta’s band uses as a dressing room.

Yuta marches out looking like he’s been through hell. “Jae, do you know how to sew a sleeve? Jungwoo’s shirt ripped and he’s having a meltdown, but my fingers are not made for delicate work and Doyoung and Illie aren’t here yet.”

“No clue.” Jaehyun shrugs, looking amused when Yuta wails and collapses dramatically onto the counter.

“I do,” Mark says, and gets up from the chair. He’s officially mastered his crutches, and he only takes a minute to make his way to the dressing room. From there it’s easy to sew the rip in Jungwoo’s sleeve, and Jungwoo thanks him with a wet kiss on the forehead, flouncing out of the room and leaving Mark in the styling chair.

“Thanks for helping him,” Yuta says as he fixes his hair in the mirror. “I accidentally pulled his shirt too hard and it tore. I thought he was gonna kill me.”

Up until now, Mark thought Jungwoo was harmless, but if Yuta is scared of him, then he must be able to do some damage.

“Of course,” Mark says easily. “You know I’d do anything for you guys.”

He regrets it instantly because he knows it’s cheesy, and he expects Yuta to make fun of him. What he doesn’t expect is for Yuta’s smile to drop, and for him to make a wounded noise before burying his face in his hands. Mark instantly panics; had he said something wrong?

“Mark Lee,” Yuta says, and he sounds like he’s in pain. “You’re making it impossible for me to get over you.” 

Mark freezes. “You—what?”

Yuta sighs, but he doesn’t take his hands away from his face. “You’re just—amazing. You’re perfect. Sorry to just spring this on you, but I needed to say something or else I’d never get over it. Just…let me down gently?”

“Wait.” Mark’s heart is pounding. “Wait, you—you like me?”

“I never stopped,” Yuta says wryly. “Even when I was in Japan. I thought about you all the time.”

“Me too,” Mark whispers. “It’s never been anyone else. Yuta, will you look at me?” 

Yuta finally drops his hands, and Mark pushes off the ground with his good leg until he rolls over to the couch that Yuta is sitting on. 

“I like you,” Mark says, hoping he can convey his true feelings without being too overbearing. “Yuta, I really like you. I’m not sure how to convince you I’m telling the truth.”

Yuta’s eyes are so wide. He lifts one of his hands, and Mark notices that he’s trembling. For all his confidence, Mark somehow makes him nervous. “I believe you.”

He cups Mark’s face and Mark leans in automatically, because even though it’s been two years and they’ve both changed, they’re still on the same wavelength.

“Can I kiss you?” Yuta asks.

Mark says, “please” and doesn’t wait to close the distance. When their lips meet, something in Mark settles, like a tumultuous sea finally being calmed. Yuta’s lips are soft, and he kisses so sweetly, his hand sliding up into Mark’s hair. 

“Finally.” He doesn’t know which one of them says it, but suddenly he’s being hauled out of the chair until he’s settled in Yuta’s lap, Yuta’s strong arms keeping his weight off of his bad leg as they kiss and kiss and _kiss._ Mark thinks he could get addicted to this sensation, and he doesn’t want to stop.

Until the door bursts open and he startles so badly he would have tumbled off if it wasn’t for Yuta holding him in place.

“Whoa.” Doyoung and Taeil are standing in the doorway, and Mark’s face burns. Humiliated, he hides his face in Yuta’s neck.

“Do you mind?” Yuta grumbles.

“Uh, yeah, actually. We need to get ready, we’re on in twenty,” Doyoung replies snarkily, striding into the room and depositing his bags so he could get dressed.

Yuta heaves a great sigh, but he lifts Mark off his lap and gently sets him aside, then passes him his crutches.

“Wait for me out there, okay? I’m gonna get my hands on you as soon as our set is done.”

“Be gentle with him, he’s fragile,” Taeil scolds, already half-naked. Mark blushes again and pushes himself up from the couch, making his way to the front, plopping in his seat to watch Yuta’s gig.

And if he melts when Yuta points at him with his drumstick during their cover of Blink-182’s “The Rock Show”, well. That’s no one’s business but his own. 

**Author's Note:**

> thanks so much for reading, and thank you to the mods for hosting this fest! 
> 
> comments and kudos are very much appreciated <3


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